Part 2 Characteristics of Hazrat Mahdi (as) in the Hadiths (3/20)

Signs of the Appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) (1/3)

Here are many hadiths of our Prophet (saas) concerning the signs of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as). Many of these hadiths have come down to us in the books of great Islamic scholars. This part of the book looks at the links between the hadiths in question and the present day. We will see that these hadiths miraculously describe the climate and conditions of the age we are living in and various critical events that have taken place one after the other in the recent past. As has been stated in previous chapters, the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) refers to a specific time in which signs concerning the Day of Resurrection take place one after the other. And the fact that all these signs began taking place consecutively as of the beginning of the Hijri 14th century (1979-1980) shows very clearly that the period we are living in corresponds with the years of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) time on Earth.

To ignore these portents, just some of which are cited below, that have all come about one after the other is equivalent to maintaining that one should expect them to happen again, one after the other. The fact is that these portents have already happened once, and in a given order. And this is sufficient for Muslims to realize that they are living in the End Times foretold by our Prophet (saas). To say, in the face of the hundreds of portents in question that have taken place, “the same portents must happen all over again” is definitely irrational and illogical. It is enough for a genuine Muslim to see that these portents have taken place once in the manner foretold by our Prophet (saas) to believe that we are living in the End Times and that, insha’Allah, Hazrat Mahdi (as) has come.

Let us now examine some of the signs of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) as revealed in the hadiths under various main headings. Only some of the signs given by our Prophet (saas) are included, though he actually revealed hundreds and they all began coming true as of Hijri 1400.

1) Portents of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) Coming Taking Place One After the Other

Those hadiths that reveal the portents of Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) coming describe them as occurring one after the other “like the dots on a prayer-beads.” We can see that this is the case, for as stated in the hadiths, turmoil and anarchy are on the rise all over the world, strife is growing, slaughter and terrible catastrophes are taking place in many lands, poverty and hunger are increasing, and people are suffering terribly. The fact that these portents are coming to pass at one particular time shows that Hazrat Mahdi (as), the blessed person for whom Muslims have awaited for centuries, has already come. (Allah knows the truth)

I asked Abu Abdullah Husain ibn Ali: "Are there portents of this?" – in reference to Hazrat Mahdi's appearance. He said: "Yes." I asked: "What are they?" He said: "The destruction of the [tribe of the] Bani Abbas, the emergence of the Sufyani (Abu Sufyan), and sinking in Bayda." I said: "I am afraid this will all take a long time," to which he replied: "These things will happen one after the other, like the dots on a prayer beads."(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 34)

Signs of the Day of Judgment follow one another, like the pieces of a prayer beads falling one after the other when its string is cut. (Ahmad Diya ad-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, 277/6; Tirmidhi Hadiths)

Corruptions (fitna) will follow one another in the near future. Then, there will be other corruptions and even more following them.(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 26)

2) The Proliferation of Corruption

The word fitna (strife, corruption) describes events, environments, and conditions in which all people, especially believers, face intensified tests of their faith. Such tests, in which living conditions are difficult and efforts are made to weaken or destroy people's faith, are all described as corruption in Islamic sources.

The following hadith describes how believers' faith will weaken prior to Hazrat Mahdi's (as) coming and the causes thereof:

Hazrat Mahdi (as), one of my children, comes into being, by the blessing of Allah, when the Day of Judgment approaches and the believers' hearts weaken because of death, hunger, the disappearance of the Sunnah, the emergence of innovations, and the loss of the means by which to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. His justice and prosperity will ease the believers' hearts, and friendship and love will settle between the non-Arab and the Arab nations. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir al-Zaman, p. 66)

To summarize, the following events will take place before Hazrat Mahdi (as) appears:

1) Death: Public security will disappear in the face of anarchy, widespread slaughter, and the ensuing tension.2) Hunger: The high cost of living, as well as catastrophes and natural disasters, will cause a rise in hunger and famine.3) Fitnas (strife): Sin will be encouraged and spread, and all kinds of immoral actions will take place before people's eyes.4) Appearance of innovations (bid`at): Customs that have no place in true Islam and that were added on and gradually came to be accepted as a true part of it, will emerge.5) Being Unable to Preach the Religion: An emptiness caused by being unable to make communication (tabligh) by enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong.

Strife enables strong believers to enhance their faith and fortitude, as well as their degree in the Hereafter, whereas they lead those with weak and shallow faith to become further removed from faith, and to lose it altogether. Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear at a time when such a climate of corruption is being experienced in its fullest and most violent form.

1- The crime toll, 2- Corruption up, adultery down, 3- We have given ourselves over to drink,4- Alcohol is leading to crime, 5- Their life disgraces young people, 6- 400 gay and lesbian couples marry in Finland,7- Alcoholism is spreading, 8- Theft is everywhere, 9- There are 1 million alcoholics,10- Revolt against the interest system, 11- An avalanche of prostitution,12- A huge rise in crimes of theft, 13- The scourge of prostitution

1- Children in Holland start drinking alcohol at 13, 2- A solution is being sought to the crime explosion,3- Gangs of thieves popping up everywhere, 4- A record in prison population!,5- A father who cut off his daughter's head and went to play cards in the coffee house stuns prosecutor,6- He killed his daughter to avoid paying compensation, 7- Drug age falls to 9 uyuşturucu,8- A native American high school students kills 9 people and then commits suicide,9- Society is going mad,10- Blast in Prostitution, 11- 11-year old pupil opened gunfire to school ,12- Prostitution now the biggest sector

Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come at a time when corruption appears.(Imam Rabbani, The Letters of Rabbani, 2-258)

Another hadith imparts the tidings that there will be confusion, strife, and fear in the “west”:

Another hadith reveals that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will come when strife is everywhere:

A kind of corruption will surface from which no party will be able to protect itself, and spread immediately in every direction. This situation will persist until one comes and says: "O people, from now on your leader is Hazrat Mahdi (as)." (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi `Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 23)

The hadith refers to a corruption that will spread swiftly and affect everyone. In other words, a strife that opposes faith in Allah will target people’s faith. Today, the biggest and worldwide movement opposes the existence of Allah is materialist philosophy, the supposed scientific basis of which is “Darwin’s theory of evolution”. Although it is completely irrational, unscientific, and devoid of any scientific or logical proof, materialist circles are seeking to impose this theory on every society through intensive propaganda, deception, and misrepresentation.

1- Social insanity, 2- Blast in ordinay crimes, 3- 298 percent increase in Drug Crimes, 4- Freightening public order,5- Blast in social events, 6- Gambling, drugs and prostitution are rocketing, 7- We all go through insanity,8- 150 million people tapped by drugs, 9- Thieves and perverses do not improve, 10- 1269 murders in 10 months,11- Child prostitution got on the rise with tourism, 12- Children forced to delinquency on the rise,13- Criminal actions doubled in a decade, 14- Crime blast in suburbs,15- Poverty drives Crime, 16- Scary rise in organized crimes

Today there is almost no home that the theory of evolution has not accessed by means of both press and television and no one who has never heard of the theory of evoulution. This state holds true for the entire Western world as well as some of the Muslim countries.

Forming a part of most science and other textbooks, it is imposed upon children from the early grades through constant repetition, such as its most famous fallacies: that everything comes into being by blind chance and people are descended from a common ancestor with apes. Young people are fed these evolutionist lies from primary school to the university.

In addition, as it is referred to in the hadiths narrated by our Prophet (as) the corruption can only become so widespread through modern-day technological means (e.g., the press, publishing, the Internet, and satellite communications). Indeed, such widespread strife, which opposes the existence of Allah, Creation and religious morality, has never been seen before today. All of these are important signs that Hazrat Mahdi’s (as) coming coincides with our own time. The hadiths also state that this sedition will end when Hazrat Mahdi (as) comes.

3) Widespread Slaughter Before Hazrat Mahdi (as) Comes

The hadiths reveal that violence and turmoil will affect the great majority of people before Hazrat Mahdi (as) comes and that much blood will be shed:

Judgment Day will not take place until these things come to pass… Death and slaughter will be widespread… (Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, Al Jami As Sagir, 3:211; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:492, 4:391, 392)

There will be cries of war in Shawwal and war and carnage in Dhu al-Hijjah. Again in Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims will be plundered and the roads will be filled with blood… The bloodshed will continue and increase. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 37)

People make pilgrimage without an imam leading them. Big wars break out when they come down to Mina, and they are entwined just the way dogs entwine, and tribes attack each other. This strife is so widespread that legs are buried in lakes of blood. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35)

1- An atlas of blood, gunpowder and tears, 2- Since the World War II. 10 Million People have died in various conflicts,3- 5.5 million people are at war, 4- Terror, the world's greatest scourge

There will be a war in Mina in which many will die, to such an extent that so much blood will flow as to leave the stones there in a lake of blood."(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi `Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 31)

Such a strife will appear that nowhere will be spared. When it ends in one place, it will immediately spread to another...(Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, pp. 21-22)

1- Violence is all over the world, 2- We are being wiped out by wars, 3- The world is unceasingly afflicted by terror,4- Military expenses do not ease down, 5- Wars were supposed to be going to end

By means of the technology in the End Times will make everyone aware of this corruption and disasters. Even though there may only be few people present at the scene, the whole world will learn what is happening instantaneously. This is a portent of the improvement and widespread use of means of communication at the End Times. Radio, television, newspapers, and the Internet will broadcast bloodshed, injustice, and oppression to the whole world and all these corruptions will be known widely by all the people in the world.

4) The Global Pervasiveness of Disorder and Conflict

At a time when the world will be in harj u marj, corruption will appear, people will be attacked, the old will not have mercy on the young, and the young will not show respect to the old, Allah will send someone [Hazrat Mahdi (as)] to eradicate hostility, conquer the castles of perversion, uphold faith in the End Times just as I upheld it formerly; someone who will fill this Earth with justice where violence prevailed before. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 12)

Rather than describing one particular place, the hadith refers to corruption (e.g., conflict, war, slaughter, and terror) spreading all over the world. Indeed, as depicted by the hadith, great riots, wars, massacres and terrorist incidents occur on the five continents of the world today. This is the time when every day hundreds of people are killed or exiled for no fair reason.

5) Strife In Which Even Women and Children Are Slaughtered

Even women, children, the elderly, and the innocent will be massacred before Hazrat Mahdi (as) comes:

In this case, killing a woman will be as easy as wielding a whip. This event will spread twenty-four miles from Madinah. Then the swear of allegiance will be taken to Hazrat Mahdi (as). (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 34)

The last of this strife will be the killing of innocent people, and then Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear, to the approval of all. (Jalaluddin as-Suyuti, Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 38)

Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not appear until innocent people are slaughtered. He will appear when those on Earth and in the skies can no longer bear the killing... (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 37)

They will kill mothers, fathers, daughters, men, everyone, and inflict great suffering on the [Muslim] community by conquering Persia and Iraq. Among these there will be strife, violence, destruction, and flight. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 36)

1- Kosovan Muslims were subjected to genocide before the eyes of the world The long-years of war in Bosnia ended in the martyrdom of thousands of Muslims.2- Massacre in Palestine Almost every day news of massacres come from Palestine. Innocent women and children are continuosly murdered.3- Not a stone was left standing.4- What is being done to the Uighur Turks is GENOCIDE During the last 60 years nearly 35 millon Muslims are martyrized.5- Lynch in pictures.

6) Financial Crisis Is One of the Signs Of Hazrat Mahdi (as)

The convergence of bazaar and market is a sign of the End Times. "What does the convergence of bazaars mean?" It means: Everyone will complain of low earnings..." (from Ibn Marduwayh Abu Huraira (ra)...) (Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 146)

In a hadith narrated by Naim ibn Hammad from ibn Masud, the period preceding the appearance of Hazrat Mahdi (as) is described as "the time when TRADE and roads are CUT and strife increases." The hadith goes on to report that this will come to an end in the time of Hazrat Mahdi (as):

"… We came to seek that person (Hazrat Mahdi (as)) BY WHOSE HAND STRIFE WILL BE EXTINGUISHED. CONSTANTINOPLE (ISTANBUL) WILL BE CAPTURED THROUGH HIM. (In other words, Hazrat Mahdi (as) will spiritually capture hearts and establish a huge cultural intellectual impact.) We recognize him by his name, and his mother and father's names, and his army…" (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 52)

7) The Increased Oppression of Muslims

During the end times, the hadiths state that Muslim societies will suffer from the conflict, war, and injustice aimed at them. The conflicts and climate of turmoil and corruption experienced in parts of the Islamic world, both now and in the recent past, as well as the oppression that has led to dictatorial regimes in certain Muslim countries, are some of the proofs that this time has begun.

Everyone bowing (ruqu`) and prostrating (sajda) themselves in prayer will be punished. Cruelty, malice, and vice will be produced; scholars and ascetics murdered; and many cities conquered. There will be hostility to the Prophet Muhammad (saas), bloodshed and destruction will be legitimate. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 37)

There will be caliphs after me, amirs after the caliphs, and cruel tyrants after the amirs. Finally, one from Ahl al-Bayt will appear. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 84)

Woe to this community because of those tyrannical rulers. These cruel ones frighten even the silent and submissive, apart from those who obey them. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 13)

Every one out of three Muslim will be killed...(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 73)

1- Hatred of Islam at a peak, 2- No permission for the ADHAN in Switzerland!,3- Hostility towards Islam at a peak in Holland - Racist attacks on Muslims over the net increasing

8) The Destruction of Masjids and Mosques

The Sufyani will emerge from a dry valley and form an army from the Kalb tribe consisting of grim-faced and hard-hearted men who will oppress all people. He will destroy madrassas (Islamic Schools) and masjids, and punish everyone bowing (ruqu`) and prostrating (sajda) themselves in prayer. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35)

9) Religious Prohibitions (Haram) Gain Acceptance

Today, although such harmful activities as prostitution, alcohol consumption, usury, and bribery are unlawful or religiously forbidden in many lands, more and more people are indulging in them. Even more, some those who engage in them are praised and encouraged, whereas those who do not are disparaged and belittled. Lifestyles that know no bounds, that care nothing for what the scriptures allow and forbid, and that regard all forms of excess as permissible have spread far and wide during the last few decades. The hadiths describe this dark age, a herald of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) coming, as follows:

Strife will be seen, and more will follow. Such a level of strife will come that the first will spur the last to clashes of swords, and after this there will be such strife that what is forbidden is regarded as lawful. Then the caliphate will come to Hazrat Mahdi (as), the most auspicious individual on Earth, while he is sitting at home. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 26)

Hazrat Mahdi (as) will not emerge until unbelief invades everywhere and is openly committed in public. What rules in such times is… the invasion by unbelief. That is its power. (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, 2:259)

10) The Open Denial of Allah (Surely Allah Is Beyond That)

This hadith indicates that many people will either be atheists or agnostics and that they will relay their denial to everyone through the press and declare it openly. This state of affairs clearly exists today, since those who deny Allah are highly esteemed for their supposed "modern and contemporary" attitude. Moreover, the public is encouraged to emulate them.

Hürriyet, 22.10.2008 - Atheist bus for London The Europea Church has lost its way Atheist slogans to travel by bus Atheist slogans to travel by bus,
Bugün, 13.03.2008 - Pressure made on students: Become atheist
Milliyet, 22.10.2008 - Atheists who, with their mediocre intellect, reject Allah's clear existence will make obvious propaganda at the End Times.

11) The Iran-Iraq War

The hadith reports that a major war will take place in the End Times:

There will be tumult in Shawwal, talk of war in Dhu al-Qa`dah, and the outbreak of war in Dhu al-Hijjah. (Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 166)

These three months match the dates of the developmental stages of the Iran-Iraq war: Tumult in Shawwal …

Hürriyet, 11 October 1980 - Iran and Iraq are publishing war bulletins Iran begins a counter-attack on all fronts
Hürriyet, 9 September 1979 - The army in Iran opens fire on the public Officers joining the uprising in Iran

Uprising in the month of Shawwal…

The first uprising against the shah took place on 5 Shawwal 1398 (8 September 1976), as indicated by the hadith.

Talk of war in Dhu al-Qa`dah, and the outbreak of war in Dhu al-Hijjah…

A full-blown war broke out between Iran and Iraq in Dhu al-Hijjah 1400 (October 1980).

Another hadith describes the details of this war as follows:

A tribe will come from the Farsi direction, saying: "You Arabs! You have been too zealous! If you don't give them their due rights, nobody will have an alliance with you... It must be given to them one day and to you the following day, and mutual promises must be kept..." They will be going up Mutekh; Muslims will be coming down to the plain ... Mushrikun [idolaters] will be standing over there on the bank of a black river [Rakabeh] on the other side. There will be a war between them. Allah will deprive both armies of a victory ...(Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Rasul Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li Ashrat as-Sa`ah, p. 179)

- Those coming from the Farsi direction: Those coming from the Iranian side,- Farsi: Iran, Iranian,- Coming down to the plain: Coming down to the Iraqi plain,- Mutekh: Name of a mountain in the region, and- Rakabeh: A region where the oil wells are concentrated.

"You Arabs! You have been too zealous! If you don't give them their due rights, nobody will have an alliance with you…"

This hadith may draw attention to the outbreak of a racial dispute that will cause both sides to come down to the plain and wage war. (Iraqi plain)

Iraqi planes are bombing Iran - WAR -

Allah will deprive both armies of a victory...

The Iran-Iraq war lasted for 8 years and, despite the enormous number of casualties, neither side could claim victory.

The war is hotting up
The Iran-Iraq War; one step forward, one step back

12) The Occupation of Afghanistan

Pity poor Taliqan [a region in Afghanistan]. At that place are treasures of Allah. These are not of gold and silver. This place consists of people who have recognized Allah as they should have. They are Hazrat Mahdi's (as) servants. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 59)

Pity poor Taliqan…

The hadith may refer to the invasion of Afghanistan during Hazrat Mahdi's (as) time. Indeed, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979 (Hijri 1400) the beginning of a new Islamic century. The hadiths state that Hazrat Mahdi (as) will appear at the beginning of a new Islamic century. The fact that many portents coincided with Hijri 1400 and the beginning of Hijri 14th century shows that these dates are an important sign of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) coming.

… at that place are treasures of Allah. But these are not of gold and silver…

This hadith also draws attention to Afghanistan's material riches. Today, large oil deposits, iron basins, and coal mines that have not yet been commercially exploited have been detected there.

13) Stopping The Flow of the Euphrates

The blocking and stopping of the Euphrates' water is another portent of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) coming:

One of the portents of Hazrat Mahdi (as)'s coming is the stopping of the Euphrates.(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 39)

Other hadiths provide more details:

Milliyet, 05.11.1973 - KEBAN DAM. The Euphrates dries up for the first time…
Milliyet, 08.09.1974 - The Keban Dam opens tomorrow
Hurriyet, 04.11.1973 - Notes: The great Euphrates came to a halt right from its source

The Euphrates will soon disclose the treasure [the mountain] of gold. Whoever will be present at that time should not take any of it (because the end of the old world has come). (Sahih-i Buhari, 12/305)

The Prophet (saas) said: The last day will not come until the Euphrates discloses a gold mountain. Men will wage war for it. Ninety-nine out of every hundred will be killed, and every man will wish he had been the one to be saved. (Sahih-i Müslim, 11/320)

The Prophet said: "The Euphrates will soon disclose a gold mountain. Let no one who is there take anything from it. (Sahih Muslim, 11:320)

The river’s water has been blocked by the Keban Dam.

1- USA’s dream of the Euphrates, 2- The mother of wars will arise from the Euphrates, 3- The Euphrates is a storage of gold

The Prophet said: "The Euphrates will soon disclose a golden treasure. Whoever is present, let him take nothing from it. (Sunan Abu Dawud, 5:116)

The time when the Euphrates will disclose its golden treasure as its waters withdraw is approaching. Whoever is present at that time, let him take nothing from that treasure. Otherwise, he will die or be killed. (Narrated by Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, 3:332)

As we have seen, stopping the Euphrates' water is an important sign. In addition, many hadiths say that a treasure as valuable as gold will emerge. Let's examine these signs in hadiths further:

Allah's Messenger (saas) said: "The Hour will not come to pass before (1) the Euphrates dries up to (2) unveil the mountain of gold, (3) for which people will fight. Ninety-nine out of one hundred will die [in the fighting], and every man among them will say: 'Perhaps I may be the only one to remain alive.' " (Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, 3: 332)

(1)… the Euphrates dries up…

As-Suyuti calls this the "stopping of the water." The Keban Dam did, in fact, accomplish this feat.

(2)… unveils the mountain of gold…

Thanks to this dam, the newly exposed land became “worth its weight in gold,” for the resulting increased production of electricity made it possible to irrigate more land and facilitated transport.

As is also seen in the schematic drawing above the dam reminds a giant mountain of concrete. From this dam (according to the analogy of the hadith, “from the mountain”) flows a wealth worth of golden. Consequently the dam acquires the feature of a “golden mountain.” (Allah knows the truth)

(3)… for which people will fight.

Due to the widespread anarchy and killing in the region, anyone asserting ownership of land in that area may kill or be killed, just as the hadith states.

14) Solar and Lunar Eclipses During Ramadan

There are two signs for Hazrat Mahdi (as)... The first one is the lunar eclipse in the first night of Ramadan, and the second is the solar eclipse in the middle of this month. (Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 49)

A lunar eclipse will occur in the first night of Ramadan. In the middle of Ramadan, a solar eclipse will occur. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 199)

During his [Hazrat Mahdi's (as)] reign, on the fourteenth of the Ramadan, a solar eclipse will occur. On the first of that month, the Moon will darken... (Imam Rabbani, Letters of Rabbani, 2:1163)

... The solar eclipse in the middle of Ramadan, and the lunar eclipse at the end...(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 38)

There will be two lunar eclipses in Ramadan before Hazrat Mahdi (as) emerges. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 200)

There will be two solar eclipses in Ramadan before Hazrat Mahdi (as)'s advent. (Ash-Sharani, Mukhtasar Tazkirah al-Qurtubi, p. 440)

The most important points here are the solar eclipse in the middle of Ramadan and that the Sun and Moon cannot be eclipsed twice in one month under normal conditions. However, other portents can happen as a result of certain causes and can be comprehended.

Close inspection of the phenomena described in these hadiths reveals various differences between the accounts. According to the first, second, and third accounts, the Moon will be eclipsed on the first day of Ramadan, and according to the fourth it will be eclipsed on the last day. The correct course of action here is to find the common ground in these accounts. Accordingly the common results deduced from the overall hadith reports above are the following:

1. There will be lunar and solar eclipses in Ramadan.2. These eclipses will be equidistant, at intervals of 14-15 days.3. These eclipses will be repeated twice.

In line with these calculations, the Moon was eclipsed on Hijri 15 Ramadan 1401 (1981) and the Sun on Hijri 29 Ramadan 1401 (1981).And, the Moon was again eclipsed on Hijri 14 Ramadan 1402 (1982)) and the Sun on Hijri 28 Ramadan 1402 (1982).

Significantly, this hadith declares that the Moon should be eclipsed in the middle of Ramadan as a FULL MOON. This is noted as being a portent.

The fact that these events took place in the same period as the other portents of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) coming and were miraculously repeated twice at the beginning of the Hijri 1400s strengthens the assumption that the hadiths are pointing toward these events.

15) The Rise of a Comet

A star with a luminous tail will rise from the east before Hazrat Mahdi (as) emerges. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 200)

Before he arrives, a comet will appear in the east, giving out an illumination.(Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Al-Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi Alamat al-Mahdi al-Muntadhar, p. 53)

The star's rise will occur after the eclipse of the Sun and the Moon. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 32)

As stated in the hadiths:
- Comet "Halley" passed close to Earth in 1986, at the beginning of Hijri 1400s (Hijri 1406 ah). This comet was
- a bright, shining star
- moved from east to west
- and appeared after the lunar and solar eclipses of 1981-82 (Hijri 1401-02).

The fact it was born at the same time as the other portents of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as) confirms that Halley’s Comet is the celestial body referred to in the hadith.

Throughout history, whenever this comet has passed by, events that represent significant turning points with regard to Muslims have taken place. Some of these are revealed in the accounts narrated by our Prophet (saas). According to these accounts, when the comet was seen:

The people of Noah (as) were destroyed,

Prophet Abraham (as) was cast into the fire,

Pharaoh and his tribe were destroyed,

Prophet John (as) was killed,

Prophet Jesus (as) was born,

Our Prophet (saas) began receiving the first revelation,

The Ottoman Empire made its appearance, and

Constantinople (Istanbul) was captured by Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror.

Some Interesting Figures Linked to Halley's Comet

Interestingly, some figures pertaining to the comet are multiples of 19. For example, Halley's Comet appears every 76 years
76 = 19 x 4

and was last seen in Hijri 1406
1406 = 19 x 74

Surat al-Muddaththir, which refers to the miracle of 19 in the Qur'an, is the seventy-fourth surah. Moreover, its thirtieth verse reveals that 19 is a means of mercy for believers and of fitna for unbelievers.

As is known, it is stated in verse 30 of Surat al-Muddaththir (surah 74) that the number "19" is instrumental in being a mercy for believers while being a fitnah for unbeleivers.

This miraculous relation of Halley commet to the number 19 may point at giving the good news of it being a strife for unbelievers while being a mercy for believers.

In Surat al-Muddaththir 74:1-2, Allah commands our Prophet (saas): "O YOU WHO ARE ENVELOPED IN YOUR CLOAK, ARISE AND WARN." The meaning is clear. Yet, they may be a hidden meaning: "(THE ONE) ENVELOPED IN CLOAK" may well refer to the Hazrat Mahdi (as), who is from our Prophet's (saas) lineage and whose appearance will be signaled by the rise of Halley's Comet in 1406 AH.

74- Surat al-Muddaththir

1. O you who are enveloped in your cloak!

2. Arise and warn.

Muddaththir: means enveloped, covered, encloaked.

- Another great miracle and sign is that the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1986 is the 19th APPEARANCE since 607 AD, when the Prophet Muhammad (saas) was charged with the prophethood.

16) Storming the Kaaba and the Subsequent Bloodshed

The year in which he (Hazrat Mahdi (as)] will emerge, people will perform hajj together and gather without an imam. The Hajjis will be looted, and there will be a battle at Mina in which many will be slain and blood will flow until it runs over the Jamra al-'Aqaba. [Jamra: a stone pillar representing satan that is stoned during the pilgrimage.] (Narrated by `Amr ibn Shu`ayb, al-Hakim and Nu`aym ibn Hammad, Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 169)

People make pilgrimage without an imam leading them. Big wars break out when they come down to Mina, and they are entwined just the way dogs entwine, and tribes attack each other. This strife is so widespread that legs are buried in lakes of blood. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 35)

The phrase "the year in which he will emerge" draws attention to a massacre that will occur on the date of Hazrat Mahdi's (as) emergence. In 1979, a massacre very like this one occurred during the raid on the Kaaba, which took place during the pilgrimage month on the first day of Hijri 1400 (21 November 1979).

The hadiths also mention bloodshed. The killing of 30 people during the clashes between Saudi soldiers and militants during the raid confirms the rest of this hadith.

Seven years after this attack, an even bloodier event took place during the Hajj on Hijri 1407: 402 people were killed in attacks on pilgrims demonstrating in the streets, and much blood was spilled. Muslims committed terrible sins by killing each other (the Saudi troops and the Iranian pilgrims) beside al-Bayt-al Mu`addham (the Kaaba). These bloody incidents bear a close resemblance to the climate described in the relevant hadiths:

The Prophet (saas) said: "There will be a voice in Ramadan, a noise in Shawwal, and war between the tribes in the month of Dhu al-Qa`dah. Pilgrims will be despoiled. There will be a war in Mina in which many will die, to such an extent that so much blood will flow as to leave the stones there in a lake of blood."(Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 31)

There will be a voice in Ramadan, and a voice in Shawwal. In Dhu al-Qa`dah, the tribes will fight one another. In Dhu al-Hijjah, pilgrims will be despoiled. In Muharram, there will be a shout from the sky: "Take heed. Such a person is of the auspicious ones of the people of Allah. Listen to and obey him." (Ahmad Diya ad-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, 2:518, no. 5)

There will be rebellion in Shawwal, talk of war in Dhu al-Qa`dah, and an act of war in Dhu al-Hijjah. Pilgrims will be despoiled, and their blood will flow [over the Kaaba]. (Al-Barzanji, Al-Isha'ah li-ashrat al-sa'ah, p. 166)

In the month of Dhu al-Qa`dah, the tribes will wage war, pilgrims will be kidnapped, and there will be bloody wars. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 34)

There come the cries of war in [the month of] Shawwal with the outbreak of war, massacre, and carnage in [the month of] Dhu al-Hijjah. The pilgrims are plundered in this month, the streets cannot be crossed because of the [amount of] blood shed, and religious prohibitions are violated. Great sins are committed near al-Bayt al-Mu`addham [the Kaaba]. (Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Al-Burhan fi Alamat al-Mahdi, p. 37)

"... Great sins will be committed in Bayt al-Muaddham."

This hadith draws attention to the incidents that will occur not in Bayt al-Muaddham (Kaaba) but close to it. The incidents during the month of Dhul al-Hijja (pilgrimage season) of the Hijri year 1407 actually took place near the Kaaba, and not inside it, unlike the event of Hijri 1400. The first incident that we narrated at the beginning occurred on Hijri Muharram 1, 1400 in Bayt al-Muaddham (Kaaba) itself. Both incidents happened just as the hadiths indicated that they would.

It is no mere coincidence that two such major events as bloodshed in the Kaaba and the killing of pilgrims, as reported in the hadiths, are taking place one after the other in the period when all portents regarding Hazrat Mahdi (saas) are coming true.

When we analyse the expressions in the hadith, it is seen that there are portents regarding important events related to the same period.

"[There will be] act of war and carnage in [the month of] Dhu al-Hijja."

The fact that this war and conflict is discussed together with the killing of pilgrims shows that these events will take place in the same period of time. During that same period, the Iran-Iraq war broke out, and the world saw the worst fighting and disorder in the Middle East.

- There come the cries of war in [the month of] Shawwal...

This may be a reference to tension in the Persian Gulf, heightened tension between Iran and the United States, and a state of war.

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